Create Play Travel Pacific Northwest family lifestyle and creative ideas
  • DIY
  • Kids
  • Family Travel
  • Eats
  • Homeschool
  • Lifestyle
  • Beauty
  • PNW
  • About

We may have received one or more of the products mentioned below free for review purposes. Our posts contain affiliate links which allow us to earn a commission, at no additional cost to you. All opinions are exclusive to Create. Play. Travel.

Cookie Dough Playdough Recipe

by Katie Wallace | Updated: January 26, 2023

Are you looking for a creative kids activity to make a quiet afternoon more fun? This pretend cookie dough playdough recipe might be just the solution! It uses my favorite play dough recipe, with a creative twist. Kids can cut out realistic looking playdough cookies. I added beads for sprinkles and cut out felt shapes to resemble pretend icing. Overall, making playdough cookies is a creative way for kids to practice their motor skills.

To start, you need some basic ingredients to make this sensory cookie dough playdough. The list includes flour, salt, water and cream of tarter. Add some brown food coloring and small beads, and it’s ready to start making playdough cookies!

Creative cookie dough playdough recipe

Best Playdough Recipe

  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup salt
  • 1 tbsp. cream of tartar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • brown food coloring
  • colored beads or sequins
  • squares of colored felt

You can use this playdough recipe to make all colors of homemade sensory dough. I’ve even made mint play dough, which smelled like mint!

1. First mix together the water and salt in a medium pot.https://createplaytravel.com/kids/mint-pl

2. Heat the mixture until the salt is fully dissolved.

3. Next stir in the cream of tarter.

4. Finally, add the 2 cups of flour a little at a time, stirring to avoid clumps.

5. Mix the dough over medium heat until it thickens into dough.

6. Once the mixture reaches a dough-like consistency, turn off the heat and allow the homemade playdough to fully cool.

Pretend cookie playdough recipe for kids

When the white playdough is cool enough to touch, you can separate it into sections and add food coloring to make different colors. In this case, we made brown playdough to resemble gingerbread cookie dough.

Gingerbread Cookie Playdough

To make gingerbread cookie play dough, mix in brown food coloring and beads to look like sprinkles. I’ve found it helpful to dump out the playdough onto a piece of parchment paper. Specifically, I use the parchment paper to repeatedly fold the playdough onto itself to knead in the food coloring. This prevents my hands from getting colored.

Homemade playdough for kids to make pretend cookies

Once the pretend gingerbread cookie playdough is mixed, it’s ready to make pretend cookies, using cookie cutters, felt shapes and beads!

Colorful cookie dough playdough recipe for kids

Creative play dough recipe preschool kids activity

Make Felt Icing for Cookie Dough Playdough

To make the felt shapes, use a pen to trace around a cookie cutter onto a piece of felt. Stack several pieces of felt and cut out each shape with scissors. These felt shapes easily look like colored icing when placed on top of each play dough cookie!

Make pretend gingerbread cookies with this play dough recipe

Making playdough cookies is a fun activity for preschool, homeschool, or even a kids birthday party. My kids enjoyed cutting out different playdough shapes and decorating them with extra beads. Rolling out the dough and using cookie cutters is a great sensory activity for kids to practice their motor skills.

Preschool playdough recipe make pretend cookies

These fun play dough cookies look almost like the real thing! Kids may even discover, that although flour-based play dough is technically edible, it won’t be sweet like real cookies! Nevertheless, making pretend play dough cookies is a fun and hands-on activity for any child who loves playdough.

Interactive cookie dough playdough

Kids playdough recipe to make gingerbread cookies

Katie Wallace
Katie Wallace

Hi, I’m Katie! I live with my husband and 4 kids in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I love Jesus, coffee, creative projects, photography, and traveling. I’ve previously worked as a web designer, journalist, and barista. I hope you enjoy our creative projects and family adventures!

Tags

  • Kids Activities

Post navigation

DIY Boys Wall Art With Printed Stencils
Heart Borax Crystals Kids Science Activity

Related posts

Rainbow Unicorn Playdough
March 28, 2018
by Katie Wallace  /  14 Comments

Rainbow Unicorn Playdough

Fun Spring Kids Activities to Try at Home
April 26, 2025
by Katie Wallace  /  12 Comments

Fun Spring Kids Activities to Try at Home

Rapunzel Princess Tower Kids Craft
March 5, 2017
by Katie Wallace  /  12 Comments

Rapunzel Princess Tower Kids Craft

guest
Recipe Rating




guest
Recipe Rating




0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Kids Categories

  • Kids Activities
  • Paper Crafts
  • Toys
  • Snacks
  • Fashion

Hello

Wallace Family 2024 create play travel

Hi, I'm Katie and we are the Wallace family! We homeschool, go on adventures, and travel internationally with our four kids. I hope you enjoy our creative ideas on Create. Play. Travel.

Do it Yourself

do it yourself watermelon fruit bowl See our creative projects, kids activities, & party ideas »

Homeschool Ideas

katie wallace homeschool ideas Homeschool Tips & Ideas »

Popular Tags

  • Babies
  • Baking
  • Beauty Tips
  • Camping
  • Colorado
  • DIY Home
  • Easy Crafts
  • Europe
  • Fall Ideas
  • Family Fashion
  • Gift Ideas
  • Holiday Ideas
  • Idaho
  • Kids Activities
  • Kids Science
  • Memories
  • Pacific Northwest
  • Paper Crafts
  • Party Ideas
  • Product Reviews
  • Snacks
  • Summer Ideas
  • Teens
  • Toys
  • Travel Tips
  • Valentines Day
  • Videos
  • Worldschooling

Latest YouTube Videos

Create Play Travel Youtube Videos@createplaytravel on YouTube »
Europe with kids YouTube videosEurope with Kids Video Episodes »

createplaytravel

Travel with kids tips & inspo ๐ŸŒ๐ŸŒบ Creative family ideas ๐ŸŒŸ Saved by grace โžก๏ธ Follow our adventures!

Some homeschool days are smooth, others are hard. Some homeschool days are smooth, others are hard. ๐Ÿ˜Œ We try to appreciate the journey!

Confidence is built when kids learn to keep trying, even when itโ€™s frustrating. We remind our kids to take the first stepโ€ฆ and then the next. To us, progress matters more than perfection.

We believe diligence grows when our kids know theyโ€™re capable, and supported.

๐Ÿ™Œ We trust God with the growth, and we show up for the daily work.

๐Ÿ’ฌ Does anyone else have days where perseverance is the real lesson?

โžก๏ธ follow along! @createplaytravel

๐ŸŒŸ Inspiring families to live creatively and make memories, through adventures! ๐ŸŒŽ๐Ÿฉต

family fun, creative ideas, homeschool family, traveling with kids, family adventures
Weโ€™re home right now, but weโ€™re still going on adv Weโ€™re home right now, but weโ€™re still going on adventures! ๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ“ฃ๐Ÿ“š

This homeschool semester started with the things our kids love most: focused learning, creative projects, and staying active. Right now that looks like basketball, cheer, and lots focused school days.

These home seasons matter. They give our kids space to build skills, explore interests, and settle into routines โ€” while we take a pause from exploring new places.

A lot of people ask if I miss traveling. Honestly, I donโ€™t right now. ๐Ÿ˜€โœจ Iโ€™m really enjoying this purposeful season of family life and growth. When the time feels right, weโ€™ll plan our next adventure. ๐Ÿ—บ๏ธ

๐ŸŒŸ Inspiring families to live creatively and make memories, through adventures! ๐ŸŒŽ๐Ÿฉต

โžก๏ธ follow along! @createplaytravel

family fun, creative ideas, homeschool family, traveling with kids, family adventures
Being a parent is such a privilege, and our kids h Being a parent is such a privilege, and our kids help us grow so much too! ๐Ÿ˜Œ๐Ÿ˜ How would you like to see your family grow this year??

๐ŸŒŸ Inspiring families to live creatively and make memories, through adventures! ๐ŸŒŽ๐Ÿฉต

โžก๏ธ follow along! @createplaytravel

family fun, creative ideas, homeschool family, traveling with kids, family adventures
Fun trend! โœจ Happy New Year! ๐Ÿ“ธ Take a picture of y Fun trend! โœจ Happy New Year!
๐Ÿ“ธ Take a picture of your kids in front of the Christmas tree and ask ChatGPT to turn it into a Norman Rockwell painting.

I love how this turned out! Our family is ending the year with happy hearts, even though our home is busy and loud. ๐Ÿ˜ We look forward to the grace, blessings, and growth God has for us in the new year. ๐Ÿฉตโœจ๐Ÿ’—

๐ŸŒŸ Inspiring families to live creatively and make memories, through adventures! ๐ŸŒŽ๐Ÿฉต

โžก๏ธ follow along! @createplaytravel

family fun, creative ideas, homeschool family, traveling with kids, family adventures
โœจ 2025 held so many adventures, moments of discove โœจ 2025 held so many adventures, moments of discovery, and growth! Weโ€™re so thankful for the chance to witness more of Godโ€™s beautiful creation with our kids!

โœˆ๏ธ๐ŸŒ This yearโ€™s adventures led us to๐Ÿ“Merida MX, Rome, Pompeii, Florence, Verona, Venice, Lyon, Paris, London, UK and more! 

โžก๏ธ follow along! @createplaytravel

๐ŸŒŸ Inspiring families to live creatively and make memories, through adventures! ๐ŸŒŽ๐Ÿฉต

family fun, creative ideas, homeschool family, traveling with kids, family adventures, worldschooling
Art from the Louvre felt like the perfect way to a Art from the Louvre felt like the perfect way to add a little culture to our homeโ€ฆ do you think anyone will notice? ๐Ÿ˜…๐ŸŽจ

We love decorating in ways that bring travel memories into our everyday life. ๐Ÿ™Œ

Inspiring families to live creatively and make memories, through adventures! ๐ŸŒŽ๐Ÿฉต

โžก๏ธ follow along! @createplaytravel

family fun, creative ideas, homeschool family, traveling with kids, family adventures
That squeal though ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜Š Haha! I just discovered my That squeal though ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜Š Haha! I just discovered my baby girl posted this partially made video from Edits. Her first reel! Go Juliet! Iโ€™m glad she loves her play kitchen so much. ๐Ÿ’—๐Ÿ˜Š We will love starting the new year with our almost 2-year-old!

๐ŸŒŸ Inspiring families to live creatively and make memories, through adventures! ๐ŸŒŽ๐Ÿฉต

โžก๏ธ follow along! @createplaytravel

family fun, creative ideas, homeschool family, traveling with kids, family adventures
Skating through snowflakes at CDA on ice! โ„๏ธโ›ธ๏ธ Th Skating through snowflakes at CDA on ice! โ„๏ธโ›ธ๏ธ

This was a fun pre-Christmas activity for the whole family! โœจ

๐Ÿ’ฌ Have you done a fun activity this week? 

๐ŸŒŸ Inspiring families to live creatively and make memories, through adventures ๐ŸŒŽ๐Ÿฉต

โžก๏ธ follow along! @createplaytravel

family fun, creative ideas, homeschool family, traveling with kids, family adventures
Follow on Instagram
  • Elara Pro by LyraThemes.com
  • Copyright ยฉ Create. Play. Travel. • Privacy Policy